Inking pad



C. C. HARRIS INKING PAD April 24, 1945.

Filed May 27, 1942 o ooua \nvenTor. 4 Cor! C. Harris by/aud Patented Apr. 24, 1945 UNITED STATES FATEJNJT' oFFrcE;

Carl 0. Harris,,0range, Mass; assignon to Rivet- Manufacturing Company,, 0range, Mass., av corporation of. Massachusetts Application May 2'7, 1942, Serial No. 444,692-- 9 Claims. (Crai -54.5.)

This invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing devices, and the general object ofthe invention is to provide a liquid dispensing device comprising a resilient spongy liquid-absorbing body having a narrowly punctured elastic selfsealing skin otherwise impermeable to liquid adapted in response to pressure thereupon to permit liquid contained in the body gradually to exude through the punctured surface.

More specifically the invention relates to improvements in inking pads and the objects of the invention are to. provide an inking pad having a resilient body of ink-absorbing material pro vided with. a novel non-fraying ink-distributing surface which will effectively spread the ink uniforml throughout its area, thereby so inking the face of the stamp as to insure the. production thereby of a clear and sharp impression upon the article which ismarked, and' also. to provide a stamp padhaving longer life than those which have heretofore been produced.

Usual stamp pads. comprise a. body .offelt, or other ink-absorbingmaterial, usually of rectan-' gular form havingparallel flat surfaces, the upper surface of which at least. is covered with finely woven fabric. When the. stamp is used to any considerable extent thisfabric will-become frayed so. that shredswill adhere to the impression-surfaces of the stamp, thereby distorting the. sharpness of theimpression of the stamp or: producing blots. Furthermore if the fabric is wornthrough inspots proper impression of the stamp will be destroyed.

Otherv stamp pads comprise a body of specially processed wood with the ends of the grain exposed, the capillary pores or tubes of which constitute reservoirs for holding the ink andenablinginkto exude therefrom onto the face ofthe stamp when the stamp is presseduponthe inking surface thereof. Such surface ishard and causes rapid wear of the stamps and is also subjectto quite rapid deterioration;

Other types of inking pads are formed'ofsponge rubber, such" as disclosed in Patent No. 1,323;48'.7,

perforations or slits-througlr which the ink will exude when pressure is-applied by the stamp' to the surface of the pad.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inking pad of the character above described having a self-sealing surface when the pressure of thestamp'upon the pad is removed which will effectively prevent evaporation of the ink from the body of the pad.

Another-object of the invent-ion is toprovide an inking pad of thecha-racter described in which the ink-distributing surface isstriated in such manner as more effectively todlstribute the ink uniformly throughout its area.

The presentinvention is distinguished from the previous ink pad constructions in that-the ink distributing surface of the ink absorbing body comprises a thin'elasti'c zone or'skin of impervious material provided with foraminations or slits forming self-sealing apertures'through which the ink will gradually exude in.response to the pressure of. the stamp upon the pad and thereupon be uniformly distributed over the intervening surfacesof the pad, and preferably, but not nee.- es sarily provided with minute channels or striations which will f'acilitate uniform distribution of the ink upon the surface thereof.

The body of the pad may be formed of any suitable absorbent material, such as felt, sponge rubber, or synthetic spongy material of the char.- acter manufactured'bydu ,Pont .de Nemours & Company, and its subsidiaries,, from -materials known as neoprene, duprene, chloroprene, or the like.

In. the manufacture of sponge rubber andilike materialsv the cellular structure of the body'ofl the material is usually produced. by uniformly dis seminating throughout the batch of material as it is worked fine. granules of inflating material, such assodium bicarbonate, sodium phosphate, or other alkaline volatilizable salt; adapted to be volatilized. by heat or vulcanization.

Where such material through which granular inflatingmaterialhas been disseminated is confined in a mouldduring vulcanization, orwhen rolled into sheetsform is confined between impervious surfaces, and then subjected to suitable heat, the vapors are prevented from escaping from the surfaces thereof so that a-thin-impervious zone or'skin is produced. v

The surface-skin'or zone thus-produced is-integral. with that'of' the cellular body of". the materialibuta similar-surface zone may be applied to a bodyof the same-or other material-by dipface pattern may be produced upon the skin without interfering with the impervious character thereof.

In order to permit the ink to be absorbed by the body of the pad and properly to exude therefrom in response to the pressure of the stamp, the impervious surface skin or zone is rendered foraminous by small preferably evenly distributed perforations, or by narrowly spaced preferably parallel slits extending through and across the skin surface or zone either longitudinally or transversely thereof, or a plurality of series of such parallel slits intersecting each other at any desired angle.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a usual form of stamp ad having a spongy body embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of an inking pad embodying the invention in which the impervious surface skin or zone is provided with parallel slits extending transversely of the pad;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of an inking pad in which the impervious surface skin or zone is provided with small equally distributed perforations, also embodying the invention;

Fig. .4 is a similar view of a modified form of inking pad in which the body of the pad is formed of felt or other ink-absorbent material having a foraminous ink distributing surface of flexible otherwise impervious material; and,

Fig. is a detail vertical sectional view upon an enlarged scale of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, the depth of the slits being exaggerated in the interest of illustration.

A base mounting or container for the inking pad of any suitable form or material may be employed. I

The inking pad illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a rectangular box I of sheet metal, or other usual construction, having a cover 2 hinged thereto. The inking pad 3 comprises a body 4 (as illustrated in Fig. 5) of finely cellular resilient spongy material. such as sponge rubber, or synthetic spongy material of the character described, which is of rectangular'form and is retained in the chamber of the box by overlying edge iianges 5 adapted in cooperation with the cover to provide a closure which will enable the box to be handled without soiling the hands.

The inking surface of the body of spongy material is provided with an impervious skin or surface 6 which may be formed in the manner above described or by spraying or otherwise coating the cellular surface of the sponge rubber with latex or other suitable impervious material. Preferably the ends, sides and bottom of the body are likewise provided with a skin or zone of .im-

pervious material which will prevent exudation of the ink which is absorbed by the body.

The skin or surface zone of the pad as illustrated in Fig. 1 is provided with a series of narrowly spaced slits 1 cut through the skin and extending transversely of the pad with a similar series of narrowly spaced parallel slits 8 extending longitudinally of the pad thereby dividing the surface of the pad into rectangles or squares. It will be understood that the respective series of slits may be caused to intersect each other in any desirable angular relation to form diamondshaped triangular or other forms of small surface areas.

a The inking surface of the pad desirably is provided with closely associated preferably parallel striations 9 extending at right angles to each other-which will aid in uniformly distributing ink exuding from the slits over the rectangular areas bounded by the respective slits. The slits may extend merely through the skin or surface zone or to such depth in the body of the pad as will insure delivery of the proper amount of ink when the stamp is impressed upon the pad.

It is however to be understood that the impression surface of the pad may be plain or provided with other types of grooves or channels of any desired design which will facilitate proper distribution of the ink upon the pad and also present a distinctive ornamental appearance.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 2 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 except that the surface skin or zone is provided with a series of narrowly spaced parallel slits and it will be understood that such lits may extend either transversely or longitudinally of the pad.

The impervious skin or surface zone desirably likewise is provided with striations of the character above described.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 except that the impervious skin or surface zone is provided with numerous small perforations H! which preferably are uniformly spaced apart from each other and may be made in parallel lines as 11- lustrated, or in any suitable design to present an ornamental appearance.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises a pad ll of felt or other suitable yieldable liquid-absorbing material which is suitably permeated with latex or similar material of an impervious nature to any desirable depth, preferably completely through the body, in such manner as to stiffen the body while'leaving it elastic and in such quantity and distribution as not seriously to interfere with the liquid absorbing properties thereof. When the material thus treated i dried, or vulcanized in moulds or between impervious top and bottom plates, a thin impervious zone or skin is provided which presents a. fairly smooth surface and permanently embraces the fibres of the body which otherwise would project and present a fuzzy surface, and thereby enables the stamp to be inked in such manner as permanently to give clear impressions.

This surf-ace zone is provided with preferably equally spaced perforations or slit l3 similar to those illustrated and described with respect to Fig. 3 to permit absorption of the ink and upon pressure of the stamp upon it to permit the ink to exude therethrough. An impervious surface zone may also be provided by spraying or otherwise distributing latex or similar flexible material upon the surface of a pad of felt or other suitable resilient ink-absorbing material.

The perforated impervious skin or zone produced in the manners above described will have a self-sealing property which will check evaporation of the ink from the body of the pad.

While the skin surface of a pad of spongy material, felt or other ink-absorbing material, desirably i produced in the manner-above described, the pad may be provided with a perforated impervious zone or skin which may be cemented to the surface of the pad within the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will also be understood that inking pads embodying the invention may be made in the form of a roll or other contour adapted to cooperate with a printing press or any other form which may be required for the usage to which the printing pad is to be employed and that various other modifications in form, construction or of the materials employed to provide an'ink absorbing pad having a foraminous ink distributing surface of flexible otherwise impervious material may be made within the meaning and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A liquid dispensing device comprising a resilient spongy liquid-absorbing body having a narrowly punctured thin elastic skin otherwise impervious to liquid adapted in response to pressure to permit liquid contained in the body gradually to exude therethrough and capable of self-sealing upon relief of said pressure.

2. A liquid dispensing device comprising a resilient spongy liquid-absorbing body having a narrowly slitted thin skin otherwise impervious to liquid adapted in response to pressure to permit liquid contained in the body gradually to exude therethrough and capable of self-sealing upon relief of said pressure.

3. A liquid dispensing device comprising a resilient spongy liquid-absorbing body having a narrowly slitted striated thin skin otherwise impervious to liquid adapted in response to pressure to permit liquid contained in the body gradually to exude therethrough and to be uniformly distributed by the striated surface thereof.

4. An inking pad comprising a resilient body of cellular ink-absorbing substance having a thin flexible substantially impervious skin with narrowly spaced slits extending through said skin, from which the ink will exude when pressure is applied to said surface by an inking stamp.

5. An inking pad comprising a resilient body of cellular ink-absorbing substance having a thin flexible substantially impervious skin provided with aseries of parallel narrowly spaced slits extending through said skin and also with a series of parallel slits extending through said skin in angular relation to the aforesaid slits,

whereby the ink will exude from said slits when pressure is applied to said surface by an inking stamp.

6. An inking pad comprising a resilient body of cellular ink-absorbing substance having a thin elastic substantially impervious skin provided with narrowly spaced parallel slits extending through said skin in one direction and narrowly spaced slits extending through said skin intersecting the aforesaid slits at right angles forming an ink distributing surface presenting a series of closely associated squares, whereby upon pressure of a stamp upon said surface ink will exude through said slits upon the surfaces of said squares.

'7. An inking pad comprising a resilient fiat body of sponge rubber having an integral thin substantially impervious continuous elastic skin surface provided with slits forming a self-sealing ink-distributing surface through which the ink will exude upon pressure of the stamp thereupon.

8. An inking pad comprising a body of felt material partially impregnated with an impervious elastic material which will not destroy the cellular character of the body and having a substantially smooth perforated, otherwise impervious ink-distributing surface adapted to permit the ink absorbed by the pad to exude therethrough upon pressure of the stamp upon the pad.

9. A liquid-dispensing device comprising a resilient cellular liquid-absorbing body having a thin elastic skin impervious to liquids provided with narrowly spaced apertures normally selfsealed by the elasticity of said body adapted in response to pressureapplied to said skin to permit liquid contained in the body gradually to exude through said apertures and upon relief of said pressure to be restored to self-sealing position.

CARL C. HARRIS. 

